Gate-latch.



J. LT, WARNS.

GATE LATCH. APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1910.

991,1 1 9 Patented. May 2,1911.

5mm/dce@ UNITE JOHN' J'. .WARN-1S, 0F WENTWORTH, SOUTH DAKOTA.

earn-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'May 2, 191.1.

Application filed September 13, 1910. Serial No. 581,882.

To lall wh-om it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. Wenns, citiv of which the following is aspecification.

` 'ihepresent invention comprehends cer- -tain newand usefulimprovementsin gate.

-latchesfand the `invention has for its object .an 4improved device vofthis character which is quite simple, durable and eiiicient inconstruction and, which is designed particu 7...larly for'useinvconnection with a doubleswinging gate and is arranged to hold thegate'securely in closed position, the latch', being .susceptible ofbeing conveniently operated from either desired side of the gate soastto permit the gate to be pushed open from sai-d side thereof.

WA further object of the invention is. a

J'gate latch which retains the gate in closed position when the same isslammed to, andthus prevents 'the gate from swinging tion proceeds, theinvention consists in c'er-t through the gateway or from rebounding.

With these and other objects in view that will more fully .appear as thedescrip-f1` tain constructions and arrangements of the parts thatI shallhereinafter fully describe 4,

and then point out .the novel features of inf' the appended claims.

' For a full understanding of the invention 4and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details ofconstruction, referenceisto be had to the following descri-ption and accompanying drawing, in

ich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the application of myimproved gate latch; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the latch, thekeeper being shown in section in position between the detents; Fig. 3 isa horizontal section of the gate and latch-post showing thelatch in topplan View; and, Fig. 4 is a fraglmentary perspective view of one end ofthe base plate illustrating in det-ail the form of the stop.

yCorresponding and like parts are referred tov in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the Myimproved gate' latch includes an elongated base plate l which is formedwith a plurality of apertures 2 for the` reception of screws or othersuitable fastening devices by means of which it is att-ached in asubstantially horizontal position to the innerv normally assumesubstantially horizontal positions so as to lie in longitudinalalinenient.

The forward or adjacent end portions of the latch bars lie side by sideor lap each other, and are formed with terminal detent teeth 5. Theteeth depend from the latch bars,l as shown. The forward end portion ofthe' latch bar his offset laterally just be, hind its detentl tooth, asindicated at 6, in order to support' said tooth in spaced relation tothe base plate and in a plane substantially parallel thereto. Theforward end portion' ofthe latch bar la is oiset laterally, as indicatedat 7,' away from/j the base plate and 'at a point in proximity/to itspivot so fas to entend outside of the' offset terminali of the latch bar4. The detent tooth 5 the latch 'bar 4a is offset toward the latch bar i'at a point opposite the offset portion 6, as indicated at 8. The latchbar 4C is thus bowed outwardly to accommodate the offset terminal of thelatch bar 4, and the detent teeth 5 are caused to operate in the `saineplane.

It is to be particularly observed that in the normal positions of thelatch bars, thedetent teeth are spaced apart longitudinally, the detenttooth of each latch bar occupying a position between the tooth of theother latch bar and the pivotal point of the lastnamed latch bar. Theadjacent'or opposingedges of the teeth are substantially abrupt andconstitute abutments, while the remotesanie reference characters.

ably relatively wide and project beyond the respective' ends of the baseplate and beyond the latch bars are considerably li`c`a'v-iei-Qt-lianthe'handles and tend to swing downwiaidly by gravity. In order to limitthe pivotal movement of vthe latch bars the stops 1l are extendedoutwardly from theL base i plate aboveI the pivotal points of therespective bars. Each stop is of angular formation and has its vertexdisposed substantially in vertical alinement with the adjacent pivot.One portion of the stop is disposed substantially horizontally and isarranged to bear against the upper edge of the tail portions of thelatch bar in order to limit the dropping movement of the latch bar bygravity and to normally maintain the latch bar in a substantiallyhorizontal position. The other portion of the stop extends Obliquelyupwardly and provides an abutment for the forward end portion of thelatch bar to limit the upward movement thereof.

The keeper is carried by a double-swinging gate B, and consistsessentially of a pin 12 which projects from the latch-style of the gateat a suitable point so as to be engaged by the latch on the post A. Thepin is formed with a laterally enlarged base 13 which has an extendedbearing on the latch-style in order to brace the pin and prevent itsaccidental displacement. A threaded stem 14 is extended inwardly fromthe base and passes through the latch-style and is engaged by a' nut 15,whereby to Secure the keeper to the gate. The inner face of the base ispreferably concave in order to fit snugly to the tubular latch-style ofthe met-al gate. l/Vhen the keeper is employed on a wooden latch-stylehaving a flat face, the side edge portions of the base are embedded insaid latch-style upon the tightening of the nut 15 and thus assist insecuring the device in place. Thekeeper is, therefore, capable of .beingapplied to both metal or woodenl gates.

In practice, the keeper pin 12 is confined between the detentteeth 5,whereby to effectually retain the gate in closed position against anyswinging movement in either direction. To open the gate, the operator'depresses the handle 10 on one side of the fence and thus rocks thecorresponding latch bar to lift its detent tooth 5 sulliciently to clearthe pin 1Q, of the keeper. The gate may then be pushed open from theaforesaid side of the'fence. As soon as the handle is released *thelatch-bar is, automatically returned to its normal position by gravity.It

4is not necessary to carefully close the\ gateafter the operator haspassed through the gateway, but'the gate may be slz'nnmed to.y

adjacent detent tooth 5 and rocks the latchbar to lift said tooth out ofits path?. However, the pin' is caught bythe other detent. tooth and thegate thus prevented from swinging entirely through the gateway. Thelifted tooth falls immediately by gravity and engages the pin to insureagainst the possible rebounding of the gate. A s the teeth are directlyopposite each other in their normal positions they engage the pin quiteeffectively, and haveno tendency'to bend the pin. The advantage ofhaving the detent teeth operate in a plane spaced from the base plate,resides in the fact that the teeth are rendered capable of embracingpins of slightly different-lengths, and hence the positive action of thelatch is insured.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it will be apparent that I have provided an improved gate latchwhich is thoroughly practical and reliable in operation, which may beoperated from either side `of the gate, and which permits the gate to bepushed open from the side from whichit is operated, thereby obviatingthe necessity of pulling the gate open as is required with seine of thedevices heretofore employed for this purpose. The latch consists ofcomparatively few parts and is adapted to be easily and cheaplymanufactured.

rlhe base plate 1 preferably comprises upper and lower attachingHeiliges-16 and an intermediate raised portion 17 to which the latchbars are pivotally connected. The de tent teeth 5 normally depend belowthe raised portionso as to engage the keeper pin that is movablethereunder. By he, lng the central portion of the base plate raised, thedetent teeth are rendered capable of engaging the pin in closerproximity to the base 13 thereto, whereby to obviate the liability ofthe pin slipping by the latch in levent of the sagging of the gate oralike contingency. 'lhe stops 1l are struck from the raised portion, asshown.`

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A device of the character-described in- 'with an angular-ly disposeddetent, the second latch being bowed laterally between -its pivot and'its detent to receive the offset terminal of the lirst latch, thelatches normally. lapping each other withl each detent 4positionedbetween the other detent and the pivj otal point of theother latch.

2. A device of the character described in- I cluding a b ase,latch-pivoted at an intermediate point to the base, the latch being rseformed at one end with a detent and being ln testimony whereof, l mysignature provlded at lts other end' Wlth a handle, and 1n presence Ot'two Wltnesses.

of the latch, the stop being in the form oli' 5 an obtuse angle With itsvertex cllspesed in i Witnesses:

substantially transverse alnement with the E J. D. MULLANEY, pivot` ofthe latch. hasta Il TV

